Lesson 4: Jefferson's Presidency Flashcards
Continental Divide Definition
a ridge that separates river systems flowing toward opposite sides of a continent
Embargo Definition
a ban on trade
Expedition Definition
a long voyage of exploration
Free-enterprise System Definition
an economic system in which goods and services are exchanged on a free market with as little government interference as possible
Impressment Definition
the practice of forcing people into military service
Judicial Review Definition
the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional
Laissez Faire Definition
the idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs
Louisiana Purchase Definition
the vast territory extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, purchased from France in 1803
Marbury v. Madison Definition
an 1803 court case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it had the power to decide whether laws passed by Congress were constitutional
Pinckney Treaty Definition
a 1795 agreement with Spain that let Americans ship their goods down the Mississippi River and store them in or ship them through New Orleans
Smuggling Definition
the act of importing or exporting goods in violation of trade laws
Tribute Definition
a payment by a weaker party to a stronger party in return for protection
In his inaugural address, what did Thomas Jefferson do to try to calm down the Federalists fears?
In his inaugural address, Jefferson tried to calm Federalists’ fears. He promised that, although the Democratic Republicans were in the majority, he would not treat the Federalists harshly. “The minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect,” he told the nation. He called for an end to the political disputes of the past few years. “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists,” the President concluded. Jefferson had no plan to punish Federalists. He did, however, want to change their policies. In his view, the Federalists had made the national government too large and too powerful.
Why did Jefferson reducing the budget of the federal government important?
One way Jefferson wanted to lessen government power was by reducing the federal budget. Such budget cuts would also keep the federal debt low. His Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin (GAL uh tin), helped him achieve this goal. A financial wizard, Gallatin reduced government spending through careful management.
What was Adam Smith’s influence on the establishments of Free-market economies?
Jefferson believed in an economic idea known as laissez faire (les ay FAYR), a French term meaning “let do,” meaning letting people do as they please. The idea of laissez faire was promoted by the Scottish economist Adam Smith. In his book The Wealth of Nations, Smith argued in favor of a system of free markets, where goods and services are exchanged between buyers and sellers with as little government interference as possible. Free competition, Smith said, would benefit everyone, not just the wealthy.
What was the difference between Federalist economists and Laissez Faire economists?
Laissez faire economists believed that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs. Laissez faire was very different from the Federalist idea of government. Alexander Hamilton, you recall, wanted government to promote trade and manufacturing.
What were some actions that Jefferson took during his presidency? What did Jefferson believe about government?
Jefferson believed that the government should protect the rights of its citizens. Beyond that, he wanted the federal government to take a less active role in governing the nation. In addition to cutting the federal budget, he decreased the size of government departments. With the approval of Congress, he reduced the size of the army and navy. He also asked Congress to repeal the unpopular whiskey tax. The Sedition Act expired the day before Jefferson took office. Jefferson hated the law, and he pardoned those who were in jail because of it. He also asked Congress to restore the law allowing foreign-born white people to become citizens after only a five-year waiting period.
In what ways did Jefferson keep Federalist economic policies?
Jefferson did not discard all Federalist programs. On the advice of Albert Gallatin, he kept the Bank of the United States. The federal government also continued to pay off state debts, which it had taken over while Washington was President. In addition, Jefferson let many Federalists keep their government jobs.
What did the old Federalist Congress do during the period between Jefferson’s election and his inauguration? How did Jefferson reverse this as president? How was John Marshall?
The election of 1800 gave Democratic Republicans control of Congress. Federalists, however, remained powerful in the courts. Several months passed between Jefferson’s election and his inauguration. In that time, Federalists in the old Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801, increasing the number of federal judges. President Adams then appointed Federalists to fill these new judicial positions. When Jefferson took office, Jeffersonians repealed this part of the act, firing 16 Federalist judges by abolishing their offices. One of the judges that Adams appointed was John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the United States. Like Jefferson, Marshall was a rich Virginia planter with a brilliant mind. Unlike Jefferson, however, Marshall was a staunch Federalist. He wanted to make the federal government stronger. The framers of the Constitution expected the courts to balance the powers of the President and Congress. However, John Marshall found the courts to be much weaker than the other branches of government. In his view, it was not clear what powers the federal courts had.
What were the issues behind Marbury v. Maddison?
In 1803, John Marshall showed courage and leadership by deciding a case that increased the power of the Supreme Court. The case involved William Marbury, one of the judges appointed by Adams. Adams made the appointment on his last night as President. The Republicans refused to accept this “midnight judge.” They accused Federalists of using unfair tactics to keep control of the courts. Jefferson ordered Secretary of State James Madison not to deliver the official papers confirming Marbury’s appointment. Marbury sued Madison. According to the Judiciary Act of 1789, only the Supreme Court could decide a case that was brought against a federal official. Therefore, the case of Marbury v. Madison was tried before the Supreme Court.
What was the influence of Marbury v. Maddison?
The Supreme Court ruled against Marbury. Chief Justice Marshall wrote the decision, stating that the Judiciary Act was unconstitutional. The Constitution, Marshall argued, did not give the Supreme Court the right to decide cases brought against federal officials. Therefore, Congress could not give the Court that power simply by passing the Judiciary Act. As a result of Marbury v. Madison, Congress had to amend, or change, the Judiciary Act to respond to the Supreme Court’s objections. The part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that the Supreme Court rejected could no longer be law. The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison set an important precedent. It gave the Supreme Court the power to decide whether laws passed by Congress were constitutional and to reject laws that it considered to be unconstitutional. This power of the Court is called judicial review.
How to Thomas Jefferson and Congress react to the decision of the Supreme Court?
Jefferson was displeased with the decision. True, Marshall had ruled against Marbury, the Federalist judge.
But Marshall’s decision gave more power to the Supreme Court, where Federalists were still strong. Jefferson also argued that the decision upset the balance of power among the three branches of government:
The opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves … but for the Legislature and Executive also … would make the Judiciary a [tyrannical] branch.
—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Abigail Adams, 1804
Jefferson did not want the judiciary to gain power over the executive branch. He refused the Court’s order to testify at an important trial, saying it would upset the equality of the branches. He also used executive privilege to decide which government papers to show the Court and which to withhold. In the end, the President and Congress accepted the right of the Court to overturn laws. Today, judicial review remains one of the most important powers of the Supreme Court.
True or False: As the economy continued to grow, Americans needed to protect their economic interests. The Louisiana Territory became a key part of this effort.
True
How many American’s lived in the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River? Why was the Mississippi important? What threat did Napoleon propose? When did Haitians gain their independence?
A new development caused President Jefferson to pursue buying New Orleans in order to control this important port. By 1800, almost one million Americans lived between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Most were farmers. With few roads west of the Appalachians, western farmers relied on the Mississippi River to ship their wheat and corn. First, they sent their produce down the river to the city of New Orleans. From there, oceangoing ships carried the produce across the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, and up to ports along the Atlantic coast.Spain, which controlled New Orleans, sometimes threatened to close the port to Americans. In 1795, President Washington sent Thomas Pinckney to find a way to keep the vital port open. In the Pinckney Treaty, Spain agreed to let Americans ship their goods down the Mississippi and store them in New Orleans. For a time, Americans shipped their goods through New Orleans peacefully. In 1800, however, Spain signed a new treaty giving Louisiana back to the French. President Jefferson was alarmed. He knew that the French ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, had already set out to conquer Europe. Would he now try to build an empire in North America? Jefferson had reason to worry. Napoleon wanted to grow food in Louisiana and ship it to French islands in the West Indies. However, events in Haiti, a French colony in the Caribbean, soon ruined Napoleon’s plan. Inspired by the French Revolution, enslaved Africans in Haiti decided to fight for their liberty. Toussaint L’Ouverture (too SAN loo vehr TYOOR) led the revolt. By 1801, Toussaint and his followers had nearly forced the French out of Haiti. Napoleon sent troops to retake Haiti. Although the French captured Toussaint, they did not regain control of the island. In 1804, Haitians declared their independence.
